Various means and methods are known to retain pin and socket contact terminals within a dielectric housing of an electrical connector. One such means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,711 (assigned to the assignee hereof) wherein a pin contact is secured by using cooperating stop shoulders on both the contact and the wall of the terminal cavity of the housing, and further secured by using potting material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,294 discloses the terminal having a rearwardly-facing circumferential stop shoulder, and a spring clip held in the cavity of the housing has forwardly-facing lances which engage the stop shoulder to prevent rearward movement of the terminal. But such methods are inadequate in small connectors having very closely spaced terminals, especially where it is desired to provide for replaceability of the terminals.
U.S. Pat. No, 2,383,926 teaches the use of a gland of elastomeric material having holes therein for insertion of terminals therethrough which, when a surrounding housing is tightened against it, clamps against the terminals locking them in place and also forming a tight seal around them.
At such close spacing as where the centerlines of terminals are 0.050 inches apart and where each terminal is about 0.018 inches in radius (or 0.036 inches in diameter), very little distance remains between adjacent terminals, and conventional retention means such as housing cavity walls and individual metal clips (which are conductive) are unavailable. The use of potting compound alone would also be inadequate due to the need for very accurate placement and spacing of the terminals, or would involve uneconomical production cost.